


Trouble always finds me

by DragonLady90



Category: One Piece
Genre: Action & Romance, F/M, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:54:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24463102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonLady90/pseuds/DragonLady90
Summary: Zoro and his crew landed on an unknown island. As fate would have it, he encounters a certain marine woman, and like usual, meeting her brought trouble.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Tashigi
Comments: 9
Kudos: 34





	Trouble always finds me

**Author's Note:**

> For this story, I used Kiss/bar/crying prompts on Tumblr. After timeskip and canonical events, set somewhere in the One Piece fanfic realm. Also, I'm a novice at writing, English is not my first language, sorry about mistakes.  
> One piece is not mine, all rights go to Eiichiro Oda. This story is written for fun, not profit.

Landing on some godforsaken tropical island was far from a promised adventure their captain was excited about. Luffy was always the optimistic one, while others accepted to disembark to resupply. As soon as they strode into the town, all thoughts of tropical paradise vanished into a thin air. Even Luffy was slightly dejected. The town looked gloomy and deserted under the gray sky, the complete opposite of dreamy beaches and luscious flora surrounding it on the outside. A moment later, his crew got lost. He roamed the streets in search of booze and some time alone.

_"The strongest men seek solitude," Mihawk said. "It's because we have seen what the world has to offer, and rarely anything can surprise us anymore."_

_"So what? You'll sit here in this castle for the rest of your life?"_

_"Ever so often, I step into the outside world, to see if someone interesting arose among the ordinary and dull. Last time I checked, I found you and your captain."_

_"I'll never be like that. With Luffy, every day is an adventure."_

_"You're still young, foolish one." He smirked, drinking wine. "This era, where you and the likes of you live, will be quite amusing."_

_Arrogant bastard._ Zoro shook his head. _But he can be arrogant cause he's the strongest, damn it._

Night befell him, on his quest to find a place to sit and drink in silence. The noise reached his ears, and he glanced up at the shabby, wooden structure.

_'Riddle bar.' Whatever._ He shrugged his shoulders, entering.

The establishment was empty, except for a few people at the counter and an obnoxiously blatant bunch in the back, having a drinking game. The bartender/waitress was there to take his order in an eyeblink, smiling seductively.

"What can I getcha?" She twiddled her chestnut hair. His eye dropped to her low-cut neckline.

_Ero-cook would drool over her,_ he noted. _I have self-discipline._

"Rum."

"Comin' right up." She winked.

While she went to fetch him his drink, he turned a tad so he could keep an eye on the ruffians in the back. He didn't want anything to ruin his time alone, so if the shit went down, he could walk away without getting tangled into trouble.

_What the...? How could I miss that guy?_ He frowned, staring at the hooded man in the left corner of the bar. His face was hidden behind the veil of his cloak, beer mug in front of him half full. The guy didn't want to be disturbed, judging by his secretiveness and the way he eliminated his presence. He blended in with the bar too well. That spelled trouble in his mind.

_Two powder kegs, to my right and my left._

"Here ya go, hun."

"Thanks." He placed some belly on the counter.

_Maybe I'm looking too much into it._

"Oy! More beer over here! Aniki is thirsty!"

"Comin'! " The waitress placed mugs of beer on the tray, having a hard time carrying it. The loud pack leered her obnoxiously when she placed the tray on their table. He noticed the large, bald man, who seemed to be the leader, slurping his beer, sneaking sideways glances at the waitress's chest.

_Piece of shit._

"More comin' right up," she responded, probably used to ogling.

He turned his eye to the hooded man. The man took a sip from his mug, fixed on the noisy group of perverts. As the waitress brought the rest of the drinks, his hand flew to Shusui, gripping the hilt.

Fucking bald pervert pinched her butt, while his hooligan friends whistled and cheered.

_So much about drinking in peace. And walking away from trouble._

Before he could react, the hooded man was in front of the giant man, shielding the scared waitress.

"Leave her alone."

"Huh? You talkin' to me?" The baldy grimaced. "Find your own woman! This one's taken!"

"Go." The man uttered to the woman in tears. She nodded, running behind the counter.

The bald freak loomed over the much smaller man, grabbing the front of his cloak.

"You dipshit! I'm gonna teach you not to meddle!"

He hauled him up with his monstrous strength, and Zoro decided to act again but was obstructed. When he hoisted him to his eye-level, the man used the opportunity to headbutt the bald guy, wriggling out of his oversized cloak to freedom. The large guy was left confused with a bloody nose and piece of fabric in his hand. His squad was in disbelief as much as Zoro, because the hooded man was not a man at all. It was a woman. _That_ marine woman.

* * *

The night was moonless when they arrived at the secluded island, befitting the mood of the G-5 and their commanding officers. Fortunately, the ship suffered minimal damage, but they had casualties. Tashigi observed the horizon painted in crimson, mocking her. When she stepped on the shore, she stumbled like a child who was learning how to walk. No amount of physical or mental training could prepare her for the loss of life. Every time hurt like the first time.

She knew the toll of battling pirates in the New World, and that it was naive aspiring to protect everyone. Those men, her men, were prepared to die; she kept the letters of their final goodbyes to the loved ones.

_Darn it!_ She kicked the sand, biting her lower lip to hold the tears in. Heavens didn't answer her pleads no matter how hard she prayed never having to send them.

On the following day, the world was a coping whisper that came in the form of the wind, when the sea swept the shore, and when she peered at the clear sky. Smoker's frown resembled the desperate curves of the highest mountains, as they did their ritual coffee drinking on the ship. The vastness of the sea warned them, how small they were, and how much they had yet to understand.

"We need to let some steam off."

"What?"

"Men are depressed. We can't mope around forever."

"But, Smoker-san!"

"But what, Tashigi?! What do you suggest?" He banged his fist on the small table. "Do you think I don't know death? How many men I have lost? I keep their names to remind me of my failure."

"Smoker-san..."

"The town is lousy, but at least we can restock our supplies and take them out for a night of drinking. To honor the lost comrades."

"Fine... but you know what they are like when they drink."

"We'll take care of them. We owe them that much."

.

.

_Let some steam off... riiiight,_ Tashigi grumbled.

The decision to go as civilians was the obvious choice to blend in. For some reason, locals didn't like the marines and were not under the marine protection. Tashigi suspected someone from their ranks exploited this town, milking it dry. Out of the two bars in the town, they chose the bigger one to accommodate them all. She was on the babysitting duty with Smoker. The rest of their outing went as she predicted. They sprang into a fight with the locals when they insulted the marines. Smoker dealt with it swiftly, and while he escorted them back to the ship, she was in charge of cleaning up, as usual. It meant paying for their drinks and the damage they caused. In the end, everyone let some steam off, including Smoker, who beat the crap out of them.

_What about me?_ She counted the rest of her belly, deciding to go for a walk. Her hip felt strangely light without the weight of Shigure, but she was a civilian for the rest of the night. Some of the local men gaped at her, whistling and throwing lame pick-up lines along the way.

_I need a better disguise,_ she concluded.

With her job, trouble was constantly around the corner. This night, she sought solitude and a mug of beer. Her room was too loud; the voices of her fallen men nagged that she was a failure as their captain. They blamed her for wasting their lives and depriving their families of sons, fathers, brothers, and husbands. Sometimes, she wished she had Smoker's ability to turn into smoke and move around unnoticed, to scream her frustrations to the sky until there was no air left in her lungs.

Her walk led her to the other bar on the opposite side of the small town.

_'Riddle bar_.'

She placed her hand on the rough paintwork of the door, pushing it. Shards of paint crumbled to the floor. A sharp smell of liquor and cigarettes wafted towards her, numbing her brain. Conversation whirled among the few men around the counter, not noticing her. She had to summon the bartender to order her drink, despite the lack of customers.

_That's how you blend in._

She took her beer and went to sit at the table in the corner.

_Let some steam off, Tashigi._ She pulled the tip of her hood over her eyes, freeing the tears.

* * *

"Get lost." She spoke with a stern voice. Her hair lied long and loose, obscuring the back of her floral shirt, the lights of the bar reflecting in her eyes that were clear of glasses and filled with... anger? While he soaked in her appearance, he noticed what was missing; where the hell was her sword? Or her pink coat? She was a civilian. Even if those morons feared the marines, she was without her trump card.

"Woah! What a cutie!" One of the men announced. "Forgive her Aniki! Let's have fun!"

"Wuahahauhaha!" The bald moron laughed, casting aside the cloak. "I'll forget that you punched me if you agree to be my woman!"

"You wish, slimebag. I'm a capt-" She reached for the empty space on her hip.

_You don't have your sword. Idiot._ Zoro facepalmed himself.

"I love women who play hard to get! Wuahahauhaha!" The pachinko ball closed in on her, attempting to catch her. She avoided his filthy paws, drawing her heel into his gut.

"Ugh!"

He was kinda-sorta aroused by the hostile and swordless Tashigi.

"FUUUUCK! That does it!" His temper exploded. The blob lunged towards her, trying to land a punch with his freakishly big hands. As she dodged his attacks, she bumped into a chair, tripping over it. The thug snickered, wrapping his hand around her throat, elevating her.

"Last chance to change your mind, woman! Be mine or die!"

Hoodlums glorified the actions of their leader, laughing hysterically. The rest of the customers were cowering in fear, most of them escaping. Tashigi still struggled, despite the lack of breath. She swung her legs, but the asshole learned his lesson, evading them.

_Time to make him regret being born._

But the marine woman stunned him yet again. She slammed her fists against the big guy's ears, causing him to scream in pain. He released her and she rolled onto her hands and knees, gasping for air. The baldy collapsed onto the floor.

"Aniki!" The guy with the ridiculous haircut screamed. "You will pay for what you did, stupid woman! Nobody messes with the Dodo gang! We won't spare you even if you are a woman! Hiya!"

_Dodo gang, pfttt._ Zoro snorted.

The guy with a mohawk pulled a knife. He swung at her while she was still on the ground. She jutted her leg in front of her, hitting his kneecap. When the loud mohawk fell down, the rest of them ganged up on her.

"Mind if I cut in?" He said, punching the dickface who attempted to grab her beautiful hair.

"Roronoa? What are you doing here?" Her eyes widened.

"We'll talk later. I'll take care of this small fry."

"Sorry, but this is my fight." She stood up.

"How cheeky, ma'am Captain."

"Who the fuck are you!?" Goon with the buzz cut interrupted. "That's it, no more screwing around men! Let's pummel them!"

They were surrounded, back against the back.

"Glasses," he eyed the pathetic bunch. "I'll allow you to borrow Wado."

He felt her stiffen with excitement. Truth to be told, he could take care of them by himself, but the woman behind him would nag him to death. Her arm touched his hip, sending electrifying tingles down his back. He helped her extract Wado from its scabbard, their hands touching. His heart thumped with the strange nervousness he always had when she was near.

"Please don't do anything reckless. I don't want you to destroy this place. Knock them out."

"Aye-aye, ma'am Captain."

"Stop. That." She hissed at him.

Their blades moved faster and in sync, as the fought off the gang penning them in. The unlikely pair battled as if they knew each other for years, causing the few bystanders to gasp in awe. Back on his feet, the leader ordered one of his men to bring him his spiked mace. He fumed as his men fell one by one, reducing tables and chairs to the pile of rubble, puncturing holes in the wooden floor. His latest strike split the counter in two, uncovering the frightened waitress.

"What do we have here?" He showed his rotten teeth, liking his meaty lips.

Zoro sensed the absence of warmness against his back and knew where she was before he turned.

"I'm your opponent!" Tashigi roared, taunting the berserker.

"Wuahahauhaha! You're gonna be my new little toy," he sneered.

Before he could swing his mace, she disappeared and appeared before him. He was visibly confused at her proximity, his mace swinging through the air, and landing on the floor. She disappeared again, and a second later, he sank to his knees, air knocked out of him.

"You're under arrest, scum", the marine captain said, holding Wado.

Zoro smirked, bashing the henchman who approached him with the elbow in the chest. His marine captain was faster and more proficient at haki. _She is getting stronger._ The thought excited him.

"You... bitch!" The baldy groped for the gun on his belt with the last atom of strength. Before he squeezed the trigger, Tashigi punched him in the face. Bastard cried out, passing out. Her fist, coated in black, was still clutched, waiting to confirm the end of his resistance.

"Are they subdued?" She glanced at him over her shoulder.

"Yeah, they are unconscious."

"You better leave too. I'm calling my men to pick them up."

A minute later, she spoke into her wristwatch.

"Smoker-san, I've arrested some hoodlums abusing the locals."

_"You too?" He snorted. "Is the situation under control? Where are you?"_

"Yes, sir. At the Riddle bar... or what's left of it."

_"I'll be there with the morons who are not completely drunk."_

Finishing the call with her superior, she turned to the poor barmaid. She crouched down, speaking with the gentlest voice he heard.

"It's okay. You're safe now. I know you have no reason to trust me, but the marines will handle things from here. I'll make sure you get compensated for the damage."

The woman cried harder, thanking her through sobs.

"I'm just doing my job. Marines are here to serve and protect the people."

From harsh to sickeningly kind in a heartbeat. But he liked that about her too.

"Why are you still here Roronoa?"

"Uh..." He hesitated, combing through his brain for a convincing answer.

"Oh, right. Sorry." She returned Wado to him.

_There's one. I'm an idiot._

"You and your crew should go. I won't chase you. Consider it as a payback for helping me subdue them."

In her captain mode, she was a different kind of cute than embarrassed, stuttering mess he carried over his shoulder in the Punk Hazard.

"You're trouble, woman." He sighed.

"Huh?"

"Because of you, I was dragged into a bar fight and now my drinking is over."

"Nobody asked you to join in!" She placed hands on her hips.

"Tsk, that's the thanks I get for helping you out."

"I had it under control. But like I said, I won't arrest you."

"Like you could."

"Ugh! Just leave already!" She pouted.

Their time together would be short, he knew it. He didn't know where or if they'll meet again. Though he was prepared emotionally, he felt somewhat disturbed.

"Fine. But you owe me a drink next time we meet."

"Like I would buy a drink to a pirate!" She shook her head.

As he was leaving, he could have sworn to see her smile.

* * *

Stillness of the night rested upon the beach, as he strolled with no particular desire to return to the Sunny. Miserable without the booze, he plopped down on the sand, taking his boot off. A little pebble slipped from it. That marine woman was much like the pebble, inducing a vexatious ache. No one had the ability to challenge him on such an emotional level or cause physical sensation he never thought he could have. She was a twinge he couldn't get rid of, no matter how many hours he spent meditating or training. Her face was there, living in his dreams and when he had one too many.

_She's your enemy... Focus._

He lied down, with hands behind his head. As soon as he shut his eyes, the image of her fighting with Wado emerged.

_Fuck._

Sensing that someone was near, he jumped to his feet, hand gripping the sword.

"There you are."

"W-W..." He cleared his throat. _This couldn't be a mirage._ He barely finished his drink.

"What are you doing here?"

"I knew you wouldn't listen to me." He eyed her, anticipating a lecture. Instead, she smiled. However, the smile on her lips was far from a happy one.

"Woman from the bar gave me this." She held four bottles of rum in her hands.

_Booze._ He felt rejuvenated.

"Marine bringing drinks to a pirate? You're weird." He sat down.

"I'm still a civilian, at least until tomorrow." She said with the melancholy in her eyes, sitting beside him.

They sat in silence, and after a little more than half of her bottle, she was red in cheeks.

_The nerve of her to get drunk in my presence. I'm her enemy._

"I've been meaning to ask you... What happened to Yubashiri?"

"Asshole of a marine destroyed it."

"What?! No!" She looked like she was about to cry.

"Hey, uh..." He restrained himself from stroking her back. "I gave it a proper burial... and uh..."

"Such a waste." She tipped back her bottle, taking a long sip. "More bad news..." The bottle slipped from her hand and he caught it. A second later she collapsed on her back, hiccuping.

"Stars are really niiiice... I wonder if they are up there... I... stupid... incompetent..."

To his dread, tears flowed from her eyes. She quietly broke down, staring at the stars. His gut clenched, words of comfort stuck in the pit of his throat, as he watched the reflection of stars in her watery eyes. He hated seeing her cry and something was telling him she wasn't crying about the sword.

Without his brain's consent, he leaned over her, supporting himself on his left hand. Her body was immovable under him. He used his free hand

to smooth the salty drops from her face. She tensed at the contact, slowly relaxing her body as he stroked the sadness away. Her lips were slightly ajar, eyes dark voids, barren of kindness and conviction. As if the life itself was slipping through her lips, he hurriedly closed the gap between them. His heart was ringing in his chest, his body quivering with a thrill, ache inside his chest dulling. Her lips were soft and sugary, with the traces of teardrops. Despite his urges, he separated from her, his chest heavy with guilt that he stole a kiss from a vulnerable woman.

"Kiss me again," she whispered, with the rum in her breath. His mind went blank, as he lowered his body, obeying her wish. Their second kiss was nothing like the first one. She fully engaged in it, her hand gliding down his back, making his skin pucker with pleasure, her fingers knotted into his hair as she urged him to break his constraints. It was easy to step over the line as his tongue slid between her lips, and she welcomed him tangling her tongue with his. He forgot how the hand that supported his weight was now in her hair, and how his body rested on top of hers.

_But she's drunk._

He cursed his conscience, disconnecting from her lips and body.

"W..Why...?" Her eyes were still half-closed, her breath ragged.

"You'll regret it tomorrow."

"Hn...Yeah..." She pulled her knees to her chest.

Her confirmation was like a kick in the stomach.

"A marine woman kissing a pirate." He laughed the pain off.

"You kissed me."

"You asked me to kiss you."

"I did." She leaned her forehead on her arms, drifting into silence.

"Why?" The necessity to know was overwhelming.

"Because I like you." She sprawled on the sand, looking at the starry sky again.

"A marine liking a pirate... Go ahead laugh."

"I would, but it would be an ironic laugh."

"Huh?" Her eyes were huge and full of life.

"Because I like you too."

He joined her on the sand, welcoming her into his arms.

.

.

.

"You sure let some steam off, young lady."

Tashigi nearly dropped her cup. Smoker called her little lady for two reasons: when she suffered and he tried to be gentle, or when she did something extremely stupid.

"Ugh... Let me have it. My headache is a punishment already."

"Were you aware that the Straw Hats were on this island?"

"Nope." She raised her brows, acting surprised. "Are they... still here?"

"No."

"I see."

"So you really didn't know?"

She shook her head, lifting her cup to her lips.

"Do you know how you got on this ship?" He scowled.

"Ehh..." The last thing she remembered was the warmness of Roronoa's body against hers. Her cheeks got hot.

"Funny you didn't know cause the one who brought you here was Roronoa."

She choked with coffee, surprised by the fact that he found their ship and with his audacity to causally waltz into a marine ship.

"Please tell me that n-n... nobody saw me with him..."

"A few men did, but you can blame it on the alcohol. He came up with some lame excuse that he found you on the beach passed out. Well, whatever. I forgave him this time for returning my captain to me."

A lump formed in her throat. Smoker must have been worried sick about her, considering how she left without saying a word to him.

"Smoker-san... I'm sorry-"

"At least you're back to yourself. Next time arrest him, Captain. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir." She smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading it and for the comments on my previous stories, they really mean a lot to me :)


End file.
